Predefined Project No. 3 (PDP3)

Project budget: €200,000

Building local government capacity, in particular knowledge, skills and further learning is as important for providing the basis of sound local government as having the right legal, political and institutional framework in place.  Effective local government involves good leadership and strategic management, quality service provision and effective community participation.  This can be secured by a well-planned strategy requiring local initiative supported by increased and strengthened cooperation between European States and their respective public institutions and local and regional government.

PDP3 will propose different forms of measures of capacity building, which may include, but not necessarily limited to:

• ​Training to local council staff[1] on principles of good governance, accountable institutions and transparency with special emphasis on managing the grant scheme and thereby increasing the capacity of local councils to successfully implement projects under the Small Grant Scheme.  The provision of training/information will be provided throughout the project agreement duration.

• Thematic networking for sharing of experience and best practices, open to all local and regional authorities in Malta, including rural areas;

• Internships and/or study visits and or stages and/or experience exchanges networks both on a national and international level (Norway) for Local Council staff[2];

• Training of  elected councillors of the 68 local councils, following the local elections to be held in 2019;

• Fostering of dialogue between the political and administrative arms of Local Councils, between the Local Government Division and Local Councils, between the Local Government Division, the Local Councils, the Local Councils Association and the Association of Executive Secretaries for Local and Regional Councils.  This may be open to all Local and Regional Authorities in Malta;

In parallel to these different measures and as an accompanying exercise throughout the project, is to take place in order to have a continuous picture of the impact of each of the measures within its wider context so as to make sure that the pre-defined objectives are attained as planned.

Training in the modules above will be open to all Local Councils but it will be obligatory for any Local Council interested in benefitting from the scheme/s to be launched.  This will prepare Local Council staff particularly those which will be implementing the Grant Scheme measures for any challenges faced during the implementation and management of such projects, thus making sure that they have th​e necessary skills to fulfil their commitments during all the project’s implementation phases.  The envisaged training modules shall also be offered to other local councils from rural areas and might be repeated during the implementation of the schemes. ​